New Age Akatsuki
by psy001098121
Summary: AU. In an age where the shinobi world advances further, the time for rest and relaxation has passed. Nothing is assured, and nothing is as it once was. But even in these bleak times, something is horribly amiss. The new Akatsuki have much work to do.
1. Prologue

**Author's Notes**: This is not my best detailed work or highest quality writing, nor was it meant to be. This was just an Akatsuki vision that came to me one day that grew into insane proportions. It may have been a dream I had.

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Near the village of the Hidden Mist on an overview cliff, there stood a lone figure. Small, lithe, almost humble, as the figure stood in a contemplative and respectable stance. Nothing about the figure gave off a hint of any incredible power or dangerous motive.

Nothing except the red and black cloak and straw hat that the figure wore, signifying the figure as a member of Akatsuki.

Finally, after a long moment, the figure turned away from the view of the village and moved with purpose towards a specific location, with slow, deliberate, and still respectful movement. You would think it was as if the Akatsuki has his guard down, which of course he most certainly did not.

After a moment, the Akatsuki came across a single grave dug into the ground. A mound of dirt, a cross with a mist headband draped across it, and a huge zanbato marked the not so innocuous grave. The Akatsuki reached within his cloak and removed a food offering. He knelt down, and after placing the offering, removed his straw hat, revealing a young, yet tired face, with alert eyes but a warm smile.

"Good morning, Zabuza-sama."

No sooner after Haku tilted his head down to pray for a moment that, for a split second, he stiffened.

With no time and effort on his part, Haku willed the morning dew to fire. Like spring-loaded senbon, minute ice needles shot from the trees and grass at the intruder-

Haku willed the needles to stop after realizing who it was, the needles stopping in midair, rotating around the figure as if trying to decipher weak points of the huge and massive figure, dressed in an Akatsuki cloak, body seemingly encased in metal armor. The metal completely covering the giant trembled unstably, as if wanting desperately to explode, but not daring to.

Haku glared with narrow eyes at the other Akatsuki, the ground beneath the two freezing over in ice. His expression was as cold as the ice he wielded.

"Don't you dare bring your filthy girth any closer to Zabuza-sama, Akimichi."

Haku did not like the gluttonous Akatsuki member, Akimichi Chouji, who was known best for two things. One, his ungodly strength was honed and tempered to a fine, concentrated point, to the point where he could wield it any way he wished, but the sheer amount of excess energy in his poorly maintained body had to be sealed with both jutsus and a physical shell.

Two, Chouji had a notorious reputation as a cannibalizer of shinobi, living and dead, which he decided was his preferred food and chakra source.

Chouji chortled heartily, his mouth the only visible part of his face, digging a finger into his rotten teeth. "Is that why you think I'm here? I'm not interested in touching your precious dead Zabusa. Too old, too gamey, too many predator hormones, hehehe…" Chouji scratched his sensitive armored belly, letting out a belch. "You know you're acting out of protocol, Haku."

Haku turned back to the grave, withdrawing his ice and power from the area. "Uzumaki-san will understand. That's all that matters." He inclined his head. "Why did you come here, Akimichi-san?"

"I came to tell you that-

Chouji, with a speed and grace that belied his size, punched a massive fist into the ground. Several meters away, the force of Chouji's punch obliterated a small portion of forest, like concentrated dynamite.

"…We've been spotted… I came to tell you that Uzumaki-san decided we need to be on the move."

Haku looked confused. "All of us? So soon?"

Chouji shrugged. "I don't know what's going on, but his word is law."

Haku nodded and stood. Turning back to the grave, Haku bowed in apology. "Let us leave, Akimichi-san." And with that he was gone.

Chouji paused. The sky began raining with the remains of the obliterated shinobi. One piece stuck to the side of Chouji's head. Gleefully, he plucked off the chunk of bloody flesh and popped it into his mouth, before he too vanished.

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_Ping… ping… ping… ping…_

Kin Tsuchi stood, dressed in an Akatsuki cloak and eyes closed in concentration. Her finger regularly flicking a sensitive bell apparatus attuned to her and her chakra, every two seconds. She stood upon a massive chakra lens, which displayed a vast map of the area that visibly rippled in tune with the bell ping.

_Ping… ping… ping…_

Dots began appearing on the outskirts of the sound map.

"Goddammit…" Kin grumbled before opening her eyes to the sound map she stood on. She raised her head and spoke aloud.

"Attention, fellow Akatsuki."

Kin showed no effort in altering and amplifying her voice, making it project and travel to all parts of the base.

"Uzumaki-san's suspicions have been confirmed. There's practically an army snooping around about 17 kilometers west of us. We move now. Warm her up, Aburame. Gaara, get her steady, we can't let her fall apart."

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Gaara was in no hurry, but still moved with purpose to the base center, hand trailing the walls that dropped few sand grains. He technically didn't need to be present for mobilization, but he knew it meant much to Uzumaki to be physically present. He paid no mind to the coldly polite Haku who had just arrived. His only concern was maintaining the sand plates that composed their entire base.

The sand plates, and the kikai bugs speedily crawling in and out of them, circulating chakra and maintaining the pathways within.

Though he would never admit it, even Sabaku no Gaara was slightly unnerved by the Aburame, whose kikai were scattered throughout the base.

Shino was not psychotic. To be psychotic, you had to be human first.

Shino's mind was now so much more like that of an insect that he no longer even felt comfortable maintaining a human form, existing most of his time as a swarm.

It was an unspoken common courtesy towards Shino to not harm any insects they come across in the base, since they can never clearly tell whether it's Shino or not.

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In contrast to his brother, Kankuro was in quite a hurry to get where he needed to go. The order caught him off guard, and he had to quickly eat to replenish his chakra, but the profanely obese Akimichi was hogging the fridge at the moment, so Kankuro was slightly late, eaten turkey leg in hand.

He abruptly stopped when he came right by a vast pitch-black space that he knew for a fact was supposed to be the Akatsuki library and data storage.

Scowling, he stopped as he peered hard into the pitch-black space, spotting the laid-back Nara Shikamaru sitting on the floor, reading. He wanted nothing more than to smack the skinny boy upside the head, but he dared not come within even a foot of the darkness.

"Hey, lazy ass, get to your post!"

Shikamaru had heard the order and heard Kankuro, but it all still annoyed him to be interrupted.

Sighing irritably, he holds up his left hand. "Cloak, please."

Kankuro couldn't even see the floor, let alone his cloak. "Get it yourself!"

"I wasn't talking to you," Shikamaru mildly shot back.

Kankuro more felt than saw the darkness shift around, and out of nowhere a red and black cloak was gently deposited into Shikamaru's hand. He stood and slipped on the cloak around his body, and once the cloak was firmly on him, the darkness all around shrunk and withdrew, retreating into Shikamaru's cloak, leaving in its wake a normal, undisturbed, and very, _very_ clean library room.

Kankuro backed away and warily let Shikamaru through, remaining mindful of the shadows around him.

"You better finish that, Kankuro," he said, indicating the food. "You're gonna be late."

"Dammit!" With that, Kankuro got moving.

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Yamanaka Ino with her power had long predicted and knew ahead of time of everyone else that they would need to move by orders of Uzumaki-san. Now she was just waiting outside the room of her partner.

After knocking numerous times, and calling her name, Ino finally lost her patience and stormed into the room of her psychotic friend.

Within the room was a vast field of blooming sakura trees. The sun was bright, but not hot, and a breeze blew scattering petals all around. It was beautiful, practically perfect.

And amid it all, a cheerful, primped up Haruno Sakura was dancing around and swooning over a certain raven-haired boy.

Ino glared at her in bitter disgust. "Forehead girl, snap out of it-

Sakura shrieked like a banshee, the beautiful and elaborate genjutsu fantasy transforming into a gray desolate and hungry land that stretched to swallow Ino whole-

Ino simply shut the door to Sakura's room and waited a little longer.

Finally, Sakura stormed out of the room, wearing her Akatsuki cloak, a cheery smile plastered on her face.

"Good morning, Ino!"

Ino just glared at her in distain, and turned away to quickly move down the sand corridor.

Sakura moved to catch up, not noticing Ino's displeasure and still wearing her intensely pleased expression. "So… any new thoughts from Sasuke?"

Ino shut her eyes in irritation. "No, Sakura, he's just thinking about his brother again, the usual stuff, like I keep telling you everyday."

"Oh, poop, so boring. He should think more about me!" Sakura beamed.

"Of course he should," Ino mumbled out, humoring her friend. She turned back all serious. "But hey, if you're so frustrated, why don't you just use some other man. I keep finding all these gorgeous men for you everyday-

"NOOO!!!" Sakura shrieked, lashing out at Ino who dodged. "No one else will do! I only want Sasuke, and Sasuke will be mine!" screamed Sakura, completely irrational. She gripped the front of Ino's cloak, making Ino a bit anxious. Sakura stared into her eyes with wide, broken eyes. "You're my best friend, Ino. You'll help me, won't you? You'll still keep in touch with his mind and tell me everything, yes? You'll help me, yes? Yes???"

Ino, calmly taking both of Sakura's hands, gave Sakura a fake smile. "Of course I will, Sakura. I always do and I always will. You'll get Sasuke someday, I promise."

"Thank you, Ino-Pig!" Sakura, all cheery and calm again, half-pranced down the sand corridor to their destination. "We better get going, Uzumaki-san said we have to get moving!"

Ino stood in place, staring at Sakura's back as she left, feeling nothing but hatred, yet sad pity, for her once sane friend. Sakura was always obsessive to a degree, but it was only two years ago when she truly snapped.

Feeling sad and bitter, Ino reached into her cloak and tightly gripped her broken shard necklace that she hid from Sakura at all times.

The broken metal shard from a forehead protector was all that remained of Uchiha Sasuke after Haruno Sakura so thoroughly obliterated him two years ago.

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"Kankuro, we need to take off, now!" Kin's amplified voice reverberated through the base.

"Yeah yeah, don't get your panties in a twist," Kankuro grumbled.

"I heard that you son of a bitch!" she bit back, making Kankuro cringe, who mentally demanded why she had to say that for all to hear. Kin's voice continued, "Oh, and Gaara says to be more gentle this time around."

Kankuro simply grumbled as he got into position in his chamber and readied his chakra, firmly focused and concentrating. Of course he was going to be gentle, it was as much his work as it was Gaara's.

The Akatsuki base was constructed and regularly maintained through the combined efforts of Gaara, Shino, and Kankuro. It took them almost a year of straight work to build what was more a work of art to the three than simply a mere base.

Concentrating and coiling his power, Kankuro stretched.

Chakra threads shot out from fingertips, hands, joints, feet, even head, and dug and attached themselves firmly into the circular chamber where Kankuro operated. It took a few moments for his threads to become firmly rooted into the sand plates and chakra pathways.

Taking a careful, firm grip on his threads, Kankuro steadily pulled…

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Outside, the forest trembled, which turned to rumbling and groans, like an earthquake were suddenly taking place. Mounds of earth and clumps of trees became displaced from the ground.

With a crackling roar, a vast, terrible sand construct tore itself away from the earth, like a giant ancient sea monster that beached itself on land. It moved slowly, carefully, unstoppable.

Impossibly, the construct slowly lifted off the ground. As it put more distance between itself and the earth, it gained in speed and lost more of its sluggishness.

It took flight over the forest, and flew into the clouds, only to disappear in a shimmer into nothing, a vast powerful genjutsu that surely only a demon could cast and maintain.

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**Author's Notes**: The Akatsuki I presented here I feel were more meant to be symbolic exaggerations of their character and personas than to be actual players in a story. This was meant to be a single one-shot, but might expand it into other side story one-shots, maybe. If anyone feels like taking any templates from this story be my guest, though it'd be nice if you dropped me a memo telling me you did.


	2. The Servant of the Fiend

**Author's Notes**: Okay, I lied. There actually is a story to this AU, and I intend to finish it.

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Pumps and gears visibly and audibly worked, screeching out as if in deep agony. Tall, brooding black spires spat out even blacker smoke, turning the sky brown and dull. The rain was mildly acidic, but even clean rain wouldn't have quenched the furnaces that churned inside one of the largest and newly established foundries in the shinobi countries.

All Haku could think was how disgusting it looked. He wanted nothing more than to tear the ugly fortress down.

It didn't matter, though. That wasn't his job or priority. His job and top priority was the subtle removal of the staff inside.

Getting the floor plans of the foundry was difficult, and after studying them he and his partner realized that stealthily getting inside to the main staff hall would be just as difficult.

So after an hour of planning and consideration, it was decided that one of them would have to create a commotion outside while the other infiltrated inside,

There was no doubt as to who would do what.

Haku had just quietly made his way to the top of one of the spires when a loud crash and explosion shook the spire far across on the other side. Siege and demolition was child's play for the Akimichi.

Sirens rang around the complex, drawing militia and security out. Chouji kept himself visible, but remained on the move out of necessity.

Slipping on a mouth filter to block out the smog, Haku leapt down the spire as the first shots rang out outside. Guns.

They were new weapons in the world, mainly composed of a metal tube, a trigger, gunpowder, and a metal slug. Clumsy and cumbersome, they were nevertheless ridiculously easy to use. Uncommon among today's shinobi, they proliferated on civilian markets, and every year they came out better, cheaper, and in larger numbers. They were dangerous in anyone's hands, but still inadequate against elite shinobi.

So says the theory.

Haku reasoned that Chouji would be fine. He's been hit with worse and survived, afterall.

Inside the foundry it was ridiculously easy to get around, as those inside were in a panic. Not to mention easily fooled with genjutsu.

No shinobi were in sight, or sensed. Haku guessed that the foundry felt confident enough in their security.

Sensing no more civilians, Haku picked up his pace and sped to the staff hall, making it to the entrance and passed it with no difficulty.

Except there was no longer a staff.

Haku, wide-eyed, quickly noted the civilians in uniform and counted them up, cursing when they added up to the entire staff that they were supposed to assassinate for their assignment.

Then he moved, quickly.

Spikes shot out of the walls and floor immediately where Haku was just standing. He kept rolling and evading as trap after trap and weapon after deadly weapon swung, sprung, or fired their way towards the young Akatsuki member. Shuriken and kunai flew with precision, small and large scale explosives were set off, whirring and cutting blades popped out of walls and the ceiling, and even large iron weights threatened to fall on and crush Haku. He noted with shock and dread that those weapons and traps weren't even set in place to begin with. They weren't physically present beforehand; they were materializing right on the spot trying to kill Haku.

He jolted to a stop and leapt to his right back out the entrance as a pendulum swung to slice him in two.

Haku ran. There was no longer a reason for him to remain in the complex with their target already slain.

Spiked chains burst to life from the light fixtures, speedily and hungrily seeking the Akatsuki member who sought an exit. Meanwhile, the vibrations of explosions rocked the framework of the foundry.

Haku heard the circulated rumors, and the stories told by a few of the other more talkative Akatsuki members, so he suspected who was the cause of all this.

He or she was an infamous and powerful shinobi titled the Servant of the Fiend. Where or why he or she picked up such a title is unknown, but the Servant was known for its seemingly mystical power to conjure deadly weapons and lethal traps right on the spot, through their own sheer will and power.

The Servant of the Fiend was also a self-proclaimed _rival and competitor_ of the Akatsuki, something completely unprecedented ever before in Akatsuki history.

Whether out of pride or self-preservation, some Akatsuki expressed a desire to kill this so called Servant of the Fiend, but strangely, Uzumaki-san forbade them to directly oppose him or her.

He did, however, encourage them to fully defend themselves should they ever meet. Even so, taking a defensive stance rankled with some of the members.

No matter. A confrontation wasn't necessary right now. The foundry seemed to be collapsing all around Haku, so the top priority now was to get out of there.

It was clear now that the foundry was collapsing and being destroyed, though not because of Chouji; he couldn't have set off all the explosions that were going off. Evading and outrunning weaponry that sought to kill him, Haku backtracked back up the smoke spire he entered through, exiting with high speed and leaping clear of the top hole-

Haku barely registered the high-pitched whirring sound before his side started stinging. As his arm and leg kept getting hit with high velocity shots, all Haku could think was, "Sloppy! Very sloppy, Haku-baka! What would Zabuza-sama and Uzumaki-san think of you now??"

Half propelled by shots, Haku finally began to plummet to the ground. Through the pain, Haku readied a jutsu, but not before seeing a dark blur catch him and feeling metal arms grab him.

It wasn't Chouji.

Before they landed, Haku slipped clear of the grip and readied to identify and attack the unknown shinobi. In the split second it took Haku to touch the ground he sensed chakra being spent and, in that same split second, hooks and bear traps bit into Haku's legs, keeping him pinned to the earth gritting his teeth in pain and agony.

Drawing what moisture he could from the air, Haku created an ice mirror, just in time to deflect the metal slugs fired his way, with the same high-pitched whirring sound, until the mirror was broken apart with a metal ball and chain that caught Haku in the gut.

The assault paused as Haku doubled over. It was then that Haku got a good look of the so-called Servant of the Fiend.

It was clearly a female. She was covered entirely in dull black full plate armor that hugged her feminine hips and chest, which also seemed to do nothing to hold her back or hinder her. Even her head was covered in a blank visor helmet with a faceplate that reflected the light around her. Here and there, a weapon, pouch, or scroll was tucked away or hanging out. She was completely armed to the teeth, but her hands held nothing at the moment except for the biggest and most elaborate gun that Haku ever saw. It was shaped like a large cylinder, like several gun combined into one. It had to be heavy.

Haku noticed one more detail. Carved into her chest armor was a pair of numerals. Two 10's.

The Servant shook her head before speaking in a strong and slightly ringing voice. "Haku, is it? Tell me. Are all Akatsuki as weak and backwards as you?"

She lunged before Haku could use the tags he secretly prepared, catching him right in the chest with the barrel of her weapon, like a club. The force made Haku fall back, tearing his calves and ankles on the traps he was in. Cringing in pain, he glared at the weapon in disgust.

The Servant caught the glare. She indicated her weapon in question. "You like it? It's the latest thing." She stroked her gun almost lovingly. "Made in the very foundry that we just left. I believe it's called a gattling-

"Scum! Shinobi reject!" Haku spat.

The Servant froze, slowly turning her head so that her faceplate stared at Haku. She leaned in closer and took a good look at Haku's glare of hatred and disgust.

"Why?" She tapped her gun. "Because of this? Well let me open your eyes Akatsuki!" The Servant reached behind her and whipped out a headband, Hidden Cloud, riddled and almost shattered with holes.

"The news will have traveled around by now. Hidden Cloud village is dead!" Haku's eyes widened in surprise, while the Servant continued, "Not by me or any other shinobi, but by civilians, their own people! The shinobi there were so behind in world affairs that they didn't notice their own civilians arm themselves with guns by the crateful! They rose in rebellion, and they killed all shinobi in the village. Did you hear me, Haku? A village of shinobi was wiped out by their own civilians and their own blindness to what was going on around them! They-

The Servant stopped, lost for words. Haku was quiet. She spoke again, much more softly.

"I know how a lot of people, our people, feel. They call me weak, faithless, a traitor, not even a shinobi anymore… But you know what? I think I'm more true a shinobi than most today, because it's a shinobi's job to adapt to all conditions and situations. To survive. In my mind, I chose the best way I knew."

The Servant flicked her wrist and the traps that caught Haku vanished. She got up and stepped away from Haku, not turning her back.

"It's nothing personal. I've always admired the Akatsuki, even if the Akatsuki is a bit different this time around. But you guys need to face reality. The world isn't the same as it used to be."

The Servant of the Fiend vanished, but her voice remained.

"We're shinobi. We have to adapt, or we die."

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**Author's Notes**: I probably broke some taboos in writing this, but this is what is happening in this world. The world is changing, and everything and everyone is affected in different ways.

Next chapter will give a hint as to what became of the old Akatsuki.


	3. The Invalid

Author's Notes: I wonder if anyone picked up on who the Servant of the Fiend was.

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"Finally…" grumbled Nara Shikamaru as he landed and stepped foot on what he knew to be absolute safe territory, relatively speaking. He glanced back at the very normal and innocuous looking forest environment, knowing that it hid a subtle multitude of hidden traps, ninjutsus and genjutsus, arranged in a certain pattern, and even then, the precise order was regularly randomized. Most of them were mere deterrents and distractions, but more lethal ones were in place for those who were adamant on penetrating through.

Only two people in the world knew the exact order and combinations. One of them was Shikamaru, and the other was the resident of the estate that he has now been visiting on a regular basis.

Inside, a dark haired man with glasses paused in his reading of the newspaper. He knew who it was, and set his paper down to prepare for what has become like a ritual to the two… acquaintances.

They were not friends. Such a relationship was impossible given the circumstances and backgrounds.

Shikamaru slid open the glass door, deliberately audible out of courtesy and respect, perhaps even trust.

Trust was dangerous, but trust, trust in anything, is what kept people sane. Shikamaru needed trust in these times.

Shedding his Akatsuki cloak on the rack, Shikamaru passed through the archway into the guest room, where he was once again in the presence of the owner of the estate.

"You're late, Nara."

Shikamaru shrugged, feeling marginally comfortable enough to do so. "I got caught up in work. You of all people should know how that is, Uchiha Itachi."

Itachi shed his reading glasses down on the table, making his dark eyes more visible and clear. He didn't have his Sharingan on, his wrinkles were deeper and more pronounced, his hair was graying, and he was dressed so incredibly plain it was unjust.

But it was still Itachi.

Itachi made a motion as if to move, and Shikamaru was about to say something when he noticed something off. His eyes were glued to a table where there should have been a vase, but now wasn't.

"Did something happen?"

Itachi shrugged, having nothing to hide or defend. "The vase was lost in a minor skirmish. A hunter-nin party managed to slip through one of the configurations the other day. Quite on accident, mind you. It was rather embarrassing." Itachi looked towards the spot. If he were a more normal person, he would have looked nostalgic. "Embarrassing, but also quite refreshing. This particular group actually remembered and recognized who I was for a change, so I thought I'd actually give them a chance to leave."

Shikamaru was incredulous. "And yet they still sought confrontation with you?"

Itachi gave a mild shrug. "They severely underestimated me, but to be fair, that's very easy to do."

Itachi pushed away from the table, and grabbing hold of his wheelchair, steadily rolled his way towards the kitchen.

Even after seeing him for months, Shikamaru couldn't help but stare each and every time Itachi went to go get tea.

Shaking the thoughts from his head, he sat at the coffee table, and reaching underneath, began setting up the Shoji board.

Itachi came back shortly; tea tray positioned and carried on his lap. By the time he set the tray on the table, Shikamaru had finished setting up for their ritual Shoji game.

"…Is there something you wish to ask, Nara?"

Of course there was something Shikamaru wanted to ask! He always had something he wanted to ask! He wanted to ask Itachi everything there was to ask, who, how, when, where, and why.

So many questions… and even after all this time Shikamaru knew that Itachi wouldn't answer a single one.

Instead he kept to business. Despite being "dead" or "retired" Itachi was uncannily aware of world events, making him ideal as Shikamaru's personal and private information broker.

"I want to know all the background information behind the Haunfuss Foundry, mainly who owns it, and who it deals with. Also, I want more information on Ten- on the Servant of the Fiend."

Itachi nodded as he made his first move on the board. "I'll see what I can come up with. You might not get what you want, but I'm sure you'll have something to contribute back to the Youth... Speaking of, how is the Youth doing?"

Shikamaru frowned. Itachi never called them the Akatsuki. He simply referred to them as the Youth.

He moved, and he shared his thoughts. His thoughts, ideas, worries and suspicions of the times. He had no one else to share them with, afterall.

37 seconds into the game, Shikamaru already knew he lost.

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End file.
